Geek Philip

Programmer and Magician, Philip Tiju Abraham – Kochi Post – Dated 27th May 2013

Philip Tiju Abraham, also known as Magician Philip

Magician Philip, that’s his stage name, uses magic as a medium to convey his messages to society. He takes his magic very seriously even while being a fulltime programmer. We were curious enough to ask him a few questions.

What got you interested in magic?

When I was 12 years old, I happened to attend the show of the famous magician Samraj. I got so inspired and forced my parents to buy a book of magic tricks that was sold at the counter. Very soon, I performed my first magic show at a school function which turned out to be runaway success and I became a star overnight. My magic performances became quite popular in my small town and I started getting opportunities at schools, clubs and parties.

Where did you learn it? Did it take long?

I started learning with books and self-trials. The turning point of my passion was when I discovered the Magic Academy in Kerala, run by another famous magician Gopinath Muthukad. I regularly attended various courses and camps at the Magic Academy, which sharpened my skills and techniques. Even after 15 years, I still consider myself as a student of magic and learn new things every day.

What do you get out of it? At any point did you think it was silly?

It is not an easy question to answer. To start with, it instilled and improved my self-confidence, public speaking skills, showmanship, concentration and ability to engage with a small or large crowd with ease. Recognition and celebrity status came as a byproduct.

You never have the real passion for magic, if you ever thought it was silly. Magicians with a passion are very serious about their business and so do I. Magic is also an art like many others.

Is being a magician a serious career option?

Unlike in the past, there are lots of schools of magic, institutions and academies now in India. I can say, magic is definitely getting much popularity in our country these days. Several national and regional channels are now showcasing reality shows in magic as well.

I believe, it is up to the people themselves to decide whether they want to make their passion full or part time

My Guru once said, ‘Magic is enjoyed by kids of age from 7 to 70’. As long as we have these kids, magic will always shine and grow.

Tell us about The Dream of Gandhi-ji magical journey? Why such a journey?

The ‘’Dream of Gandhi-ji – The Magic with a Mission’’ was an unique magical journey covering many parts of South India. The main objective of the journey was to spread Mahatma Gandhi-ji’s principles like peace, religious harmony, equality and nonviolence among the people. The journey covered South Indian States Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The journey started on October 2, 2010 from Bangalore and ended on January 30, 2011. I performed in schools, colleges and orphanages in many cities and villages. I got an immense positive response from the crowd and the media.

I always end my show with a religious harmony message. Couple of years back two kids came backstage after the show. They said they were not aware of the importance of religious harmony and in their class they do have religious discrimination, where kids from different religion would not talk with each other. I was quite shocked by hearing those words from 10 year old kids. Then I decided I have to do something for it and composed a show focusing on importance of religious harmony, peace, non violence and equality.

What are your next plans? Leaving your job soon?

Well, we do not know what’s going to be next, as of now I would like to continue performing magic as my passion. During my college days friends used to say I’m married to magic and computer programming, probably that’s the reason I cannot leave one for the other. Being an artist, I understand I got immense social responsibilities and commitments. I have already composed couple of shows which you can expect on stage in couple of months.

Article by Editor, THE KOCHI POST LTD.
http://kochipost.com/2013/05/27/programmer-and-magician-philip-tiju-abraham/

International Merlin Award presented to Magician Muthukad

New Delhi: Gopinath Muthukad was presented with the prestigious International Merlin Award, billed as Magic’s Oscar, at a grand ceremony that glowed with magical aura in plenty. Hundreds of leading magicians from across the country, large number of fans, and top political leaders attended the elegant award ceremony, accompanied by the performance by six top award-winning performers in the country.

Magician Gopinath Muthukad receiving award from Tony Hassini, IMS President. Image Courtesy Magic Academy, Kerala

Hon’ble Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs and Civil Aviation, Shri Vayalar Ravi, Hon’ble Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Prof. K V Thomas, Hon’ble Delhi Chief Minister Smt Sheila Dikshit, and Mr T K A Nair, the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, led the packed Mavlankar Hall to salute the winner.
The President of International Magicians Society (IMS), Mr Tony Hassini presented the award, comprising a statuette designed in 1968, to Muthukad as hundreds of fellow magicians gave a standing ovation. Instituted by the Society which has over 37,000 professional magicians as members, the award was given for his outstanding contributions to the art.
“I believe that there were several moments in all our lives that could only be regarded as sheer magic. For me, this is the strongest of them all. This is one of those rare moments that compel me to believe in real magic,’’ said Muthukad, who became the second Indian to win the coveted award after P C Sorcar Jr.
“Looking back, I consider myself extremely fortunate for deciding, to lead a life as a magician. For over 37 years, I have been passionately in love with this art form and we have been devoted towards each other ever since. We generally understand that magic is an art of illusion. But the more I learned about illusion, the more it drew me towards the realities of life. It encouraged me to go deeper into the magic and explore the possibility of using magic as a creative tool for mass communication,’’ he said in his acceptance speech.
Mhelly Bhumgara, Zenia, Samir Patel, Aanchal, Ramayashree and Vikas Sharma, all winners of many prestigious national and international awards, put up the unique 45-minute magical sojourn along with function, organised by MAZMA (Society for Uplifting Traditional Magic & Performing Arts).
Presenting the award, Mr Hassini led the world magic fraternity in heaping praises over the winner. “I am congratulating him on behalf of the 37,000 magicians world over,’’ he said.

Article by Magic Academy: http://magicweekly.blogspot.com/2011/06/international-merlin-award-presented-to.html

Magic with a mission

On the anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s Samadhi, a magician honoured his principles by performing tricks to compliment each belief

Almost a year ago, two 10-year-olds approached a magician at a show and asked him why Hindu kids don’t speak to their Muslim counterparts at school. Struck by the question, Philip Tiju Abraham (25), a magician, decided to take his show on the road to preach the principles of Mahatma Gandhi.

Gandhigiri: Each trick Philip performs corresponds to the teachings of the Mahatma. Image Courtesy: Bindiya Carmeline Thomas

‘The Dream of Gandhi-ji: Magic with a Mission’ concluded its three month long journey across Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu at St Joesph’s College of Arts and Science on the 63rd anniversary of Gandhiji’s Samadhi. The very first show kicked off in the city on October 2 last year.

A software engineer by profession, Philip said, “I’ve been practising magic for a long time and I’ve always concluded my shows with a flag trick to show unity. That’s when those two kids approached me.” he added, “We’re supposed to be a secular country, but if this is the attitude now it’s only going to get worse as they grow up.”

Philip wowed the crowd after pulling out a plain mirror and asking the crowd to concentrate on the truth, and then flipped the plastic mirror to reveal Bapu’s face in the glass. Unity was shown when the tricolored Indian flag was put together just seconds after it was dismantled before the crowds.

Philip spent his weekends away from home visiting slums and orphanages to spread the message. Each trick Philip performs corresponds to the teachings of the Mahatma, which include truth, ahimsa and equality.

Philip, added, “The slums have been the best audience. They’re eager to learn. It’s most important for children to learn the principles of equality. They shouldn’t discriminate based on your background.”

Father Jose Pinto, principal, St Joesph’s College of Arts and Science, said, “It’s good for the students to know what the Mahatma’s principles are. His teachings are still very important. It was a good show, as well.”

Article by Bindiya Carmeline Thomas, Mid-day 31st Jan 2011
http://www.mid-day.com/news/2011/jan/310111-News-Bangalore-Mahatma-Gandhis-Samadhi-anniversary-St-Joesphs-College.htm

The illusionists – Bangalore Mirror – 25Apr2010

Bangalore Mirror : It’s the new face of magic. The real-life “Harry Potters” are corporate entertainers, adept at mind reading techniques and using technology to further the cause of hocus-pocus. Renuka Phadnis meets a bunch of new-age magicians in the city and comes back enchanted.

If you thought Bangalore is “muggly”, chew over this: five hundred people in this city potter with magic including conjuring, reading minds, doing illusion tricks and performing ventriloquism. Among these is a swish set that juggles magic with another job, are tech-savvy to the hilt and have the corporate crowd fascinated by their tricks.

Prahalad and Poornima Acharya are a magician couple, who have had a long stint as independent performing magicians. Now, they say they are doing

their bit for society by helping children be more confident through magic, shadow play and theatre. In the past, Prahalad Acharya has done Houdini-like tricks that are dangerous and death-defying escape stunts. He claims to be the only magician in India to escape from the Bangalore Central Prison (in just 8 seconds!). He says he has also performed the Houdini escape at the Jog Falls and has made 18-ft high the Golden Chariot of Udupi disappear. He also says he has perfomed the legendary Indian Rope Trick. Magic looks unbelievable but it is nothing but science and some sleight-of-hand by smart ‘magicians’. Prahalad Acharya, who is an exponent of ventriloquism, and a shadow play artiste says, “Magic is rational. There is no mesmerising, no power, no hypnotism. It is all about gadgets, the use of directions and optical illusions.” Wife Poornima is one of the rare women magicians. She took up magic after marriage, and does independent magic shows that last upto two hours.

When I met Nakul Shenoy, he asked me to think of a person and to write his/her name on a piece of paper. He then took the paper and without looking at it, cut it into tiny bits and returned the bits to me. Then he named the person I had thought of! When I asked him how he did it, he smiled and said, “Magicians don’t tell.” But Shenoy, who calls himself a ‘mindreader and corporate entertainer’ reminds us that magic is all science. He has 15 years of professional experience in magic entertainment, teaches magic, and writes for magic magazines. One of three mindreaders in India, he networks with the best in the business, across the world. He is just back in the city after a jam session in Las Vegas with other magic folk such as Max Maven, Jeff Mcbride, Eugene Burger and Bob Cassidy. “It helps to learn some magic for people to remember you by. Master a few tricks and you will find it is a useful icebreaker in get-togethers, a fascinating hobby, and it is lovely when people recognise you as ‘the Magic Kid’. Magic is not for muggles. To learn it, you have to be rational, nifty, and cool to fool an audience,” he says.

Software engineer Tiju Philip, a Christ College product and intern at an IT firm, is a stage magician by hobby. He has been practising illusion and conjuring for 11 years now. As a 12-year-old, he saw a magic show and got a magic book. He did some shows and they were all successful. That got him hooked. Tiju has attended magic school — the Magic Academy. His ‘guru’ is magician Gopinath Muthukad. Now, Tiju has founded and designed a portal for Indian magicians called www.indianmagicians.com. He has also helped launch a portal called www.worldofmagicians.com . Tiju wants to tell the world that there is far more to India than the great Indian rope trick. Tiju, who creates ‘magic software’, says, “Magic today is about science and technology. Magicians from Bangalore are more tech-savvy than their counterparts elsewhere in the country. They have a presence on the net and use a lot of online sources and social media. As a community, Indian magicians go online for resources.” And image counts, so both Nakul and Tiju are on Twitter.

The Magic Shop

Giridhar’s shop has everything that will inspire you to do the ‘abracadabra’ bit

If you want to learn some magic, you don’t need to go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Skip Diagon Alley, forget Platform 9 and 3/4. Bangalore has a space for magic folk and it is called The Magic Shop. This is a place where magic props are sold, magic classes are held, magic books and magazines are kept (for reference only!), and where magicians meet to read and discuss about their craft. Giridhar Kamath, the proprietor of Magic Shop, has performed magic for years. He has been manufacturing and exporting magic apparatus for 20 years. Whatever your age, you will find some challenging magic props here. For a five-year-old kid, there is the ‘magic book’ – you open it and it is blank. Open it a second time, it is full of colourful drawings! Then there is the ‘magic dice box’. When you open it the first time, you see a small dice. Open the box a second time and you see a big dice! If you think that is for the kids, try this – a ball that moves and stops at your command.

Magic Facts

* There are 10,000 magicians in India, both known and unknown, and 500 are in Bangalore.

* Magicians meet at their conferences. One such international meet is called ‘Vismaya’. At the last Vismaya meet held in 2008 in Trivandrum, 1,000 Indian magicians India attended.

* See www.indianmagicians.com for a magicians directory, dealers, institutions, societies and clubs, magicians on Twitter.

* Within the next one year, an event of magic will happen in Bangalore.

* The next magic event is on May 31 – the Women Magicians Meet, Trivandrum.

* The Academy of Magical Sciences is in Trivandrum.

* Magicians read and write for Vismayam Magical News.

* Magicians get prizes for good work too. They are called Wizards Award member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians (USA).

* Where do magic people do R&D? Magic & Allied Arts Development & Research Institute

Article by Renuka Phadnis , Bangalore Mirror 25Apr2010, Page 11

http://www.bangaloremirror.com/article/81/20100424201004241958333983d41b9c/The-illusionists.html